Improved rail-way-rail



" mth' casina tiet GEQRGE WyKING, 0F GEORGE'TOWN, Dlsrnreror COLUMBIA..

Leners Palm: No. 85,673, dated .rama/ry 5,1869.

IMPROVE!) RAIIiWAY-RAIL.

'.lfhn` Schedule referred toln these Letten Patent and making part of the lame.

To all whom 'it ma/y concern.-

` Be it known that I, GEORGE W. KING, of Georgetown, in the District OfOOlumbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Rails; anddo hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereoreference being had to the accompanying drawings, and-to the letters of refer- Y ence marked thereon.

- A The nature ofrny invention consists in the construction and general arrangement of a railroad-rail with a movable top, and iii which no bolts, pins, or screws are usedto secure the cap to the base.

In order to enable others'skilled -in the art to which my invention appertains, to make and use 'the same, I

now proceed to describe its construction and operation, referring to the annexed drawings, which form a of this specification, and in which Y Figure lis a perspective view, showing one-half of the base partially withdrawn, and

Figure 2 is a eross-secton.

The base of the rail is made in two parts, A and A. These two parts are exactly alike, having each one perpendicular side from a to b, which are placed together. The upper side, from b to c, is bevelled, as shown plainly in iig. 2,-the outer corner, c, being higher than the inner corner, b, so that, when the two pieces A and A are placed together, the centre of the rail is depressed, the upper sides forming an angle.

The outercorners, c, are rounded, and the sides of the' railbent inwards, forming a curved groove, d then bent outward again, forming aprojection, e, the lower parli-g the base spreading out the same as an ordinary T- The capB is made of such a shape as to conform to the shape of the base when put together, that is, the under side being bevelled from the centre, to near-the sides, where are formed curved grooves, y y, corresponding in size with the curved corners cc of the base-pieces A and A. The inner side of the cap B thus forms an angle, with a sharp corner along its entire length at x.

The sides ofl the cap B are turned down, and bent inwards, then ,the edge rounded at z, to correspond with the groove Ad and projection e ofthe base.

The rail is placed together in the following' manner:

One of the base-pieces is secured in its place, when the cap or top is placed on, the other base-pieceinserted in the cap, and the two bases pressed together, and secured, as in ordinary rails.

The main advantages which this rail possesses over any `now in use are, that the cap can be made of better material than the base, and the cap can be turned around when worn on one side, thus lessening the expense to a considerable degree. It admits of lap-joints, and will allowfgreater'unequal expansion than anyrail yet made, thereby preventing one of the greatest causes of broken rails. it; consequently it is stronger and cheaper, and there is nothing to -work loose.

` The form of the rail is such that, even though it should be broken in a number of places, it would remain securely together, and would not throw the train' from the track. The greater the weight placed on it,

the tighter will its joints t together, as the angular corner x, alongthe centre of the cap, will have a tendency to press in between the corners b b of the base, thus pressing the upper edges of l said pieces outward,

and making the'joints, c, d, e, and y z, perfectlyiirm and tight. i

I am aware that railroad-'railshaving an under and upper part, the latter forming a cap for the former, are known.'

I am also aware that a railroad-rail with a longitudinally-bisected base is not new.

My rail is so formed that the upper surface ofthe bisected base is inclined to aA V- shape, and the cap is made, on its under surface, in a shape corresponding therewith, so that its under joint or apex is directly above the bisecting line of the two rails, and', when pressure is exerted-on 'the upper surface of the cap, the point x, pressing between the points b b, causes the parts A A' to separate at the top, and grasp each other at the points a a at the bottom. As this is done, the curved parts c z are forced together, and make the rail more compacted than before.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of longitudinally-bisected base-rails 'A A and cap-rail B, when saidfbase-rails are provided each with a longitudinal groove, d, on their upper edges, and form inclined planes (from c to b)`on the upper surface, and the cap-rail B has an ear, z, on each side, which ts into the grooves d, and is inclined on its under surface to a central point,'a:, all substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing, I havehereunto set my hand, this 10th day of December, 1868.

GEO. W. KING,

Witnesses: I

J. M. MASON, HARRY KING.'

It has no pins, keys, bolts, or holes in 

